Drinking Baby
by Sakura02
Summary: When Miroku gets a little tipsy, he'll make decisions that will effect the rest of his life. And everyone knows actions speak louder than words. Miroku x Sango DISCONTINUED
1. Speak

Drinking Baby  
  
  
One: Speak

Miroku sighed heavily. This was all his fault. He didn't quite know how it was his fault; he just knew that by some means, it was. What had they been doing with all that saké anyway? Weren't they all a little young to be drinking?  
  
Inu Yasha didn't count, the bastard. He may have looked a year or two older than Miroku (though he acted younger), but the truth was, he was well over fifty; he should have taken the saké for himself. But that wasn't the case. No, Miroku is the hero of this story; therefore things should happen to him and to him alone.  
  
Sighing again, Miroku stood up and began walking away from the camp. His mind was racing, and before he knew what he was doing, he found himself pacing back and forth in large strides.  
  
"Houshi-sama?"  
  
Miroku stopped, mid-stride, at the voice that sought out his attention. Through peripheral-vision, Miroku could make out the small, delicate form of Sango. He didn't dare look up, or utter a word. Though it took almost everything he had, Miroku had tried his hardest to avoid Sango; he had been ever since _that day_. She had obviously noticed his sudden isolation from her, and it worried her. Not only had he stayed away from her, but Miroku had kept his distance from the other women they met on their quest as well. She figured it must be because of what had happened the night they had that saké.  
  
"Houshi-sama," she repeated. "Please...talk to me."  
  
"S-Sango," Miroku said, as thought not at all curious at her sudden urge to talk to him.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked, taking a step forward. "You haven't said a word to me or the others for over a week."  
  
"Nonsense. I've said plenty of things—"  
  
"You've been talking to yourself...more than usual, even."  
  
Miroku sighed again, his third in a course of ten minutes. Sango had him beat; there was no way he was going to get out of talking to her now. He straightened his back and puffed out his chest about a quarter of an inch. It was now or never. He preferred never, but it was already too late for that.  
  
Sango watched him in amusement. Miroku seemed to be fighting the urge to run as far away from her as possible. She was very lucky he didn't; they needed to get this thing settled once and for all. She watched as Miroku made a humorous sort of serious face. He was obviously very nervous. With his head held higher and his chest muscles bulging, Sango thought the monk look really handsome.  
  
"So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about, Sango?" Miroku asked, smiling serenely.  
  
"I, umm...Houshi-sama, uhh...," Sango stammered; seeing Miroku look at her like that, melted her insides, making her forget why she actually had come to see him.  
  
Miroku raised an eyebrow at her. Sango was being silly. She had called for him only to stumble over her own words? Surely not, thought the monk.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Oh.... That night," Sango said, regaining her equanimity. "You know, where we, umm...had a little too much to drink?"  
  
Miroku nodded. He knew that night; he knew it so well, that he wished he didn't know it at all. Not at all feeling up to talking about this particular subject, Miroku began walking in the opposite direction, away from Sango.  
  
"Houshi-sama, wait!"  
  
Again, Miroku stopped; he just couldn't walk away from her.  
  
"What is it now?" he asked, sounding annoyed.  
  
"Look, we're going to have to solve this eventually," Sango said, matching his tone.  
  
Miroku turned to her, his gaze softer. He was defeated...again. Holding up his hands in an indication of his trouncing, Miroku said, "All right. Let's get to talking."  
  
It happened so fast. One moment, Miroku had been waiting to hear Sango's discussion; the next, he was steadying her limp form against his arms and shoulders. Sango had passed out.  
  


A/N: Short and sweet. Not exactly to the point yet, but if you're smart enough to figure it out for yourself, then I congratulate you.  
  
Oh, and I owe an apology to Immortal Sadness. Actually, I really need to beg her not to kill me. Katie! Don't kill me. I promise I'll update Torn Apart by the end of the week—I promise! ::bows and leaves::


	2. Dunken Monk, Recollections of Father

Drinking Baby

Two: Drunken Monk, Recollection of Father

"And why would I know anything about that?" Kagome asked, face turning red.

"Come on, Kagome-chan! You have to know something," Miroku whined.

Even for the hentai houshi, this was a rather strange topic to bring up. He had brought Sango back to the inn they were staying at, and had the caretaker look after her. But now, seeing as he thought he knew why Sango collapsed, he thought it the perfect time to get some helpful tips from Kagome. Kagome knew how desperate Miroku was; he never added an honorific to the end of her name unless he was truly distressed.

Defeated, Kagome reached into her bottomless pit of a backpack and pulled out a health book, flipping through its contents. "Here it is," she said, handing the book over to Miroku. He read through the kanji, and rested at the end of the page.

"I think there are pictures," Kagome added, turning the page for her friend.

Miroku glanced down at a page of full-colored pictures. Seeing these, he threw the book across the room, or as far as he could manage. He doubled over, one hand holding his stomach, the other covering his mouth. His eyes were wide, and he was making horrible retching sounds.

Puzzled, Kagome reached for the book, looking for what had spooked Miroku. When she found them, she too threw the book away from her, letting out a screech of "Aiiee!" How could they think of putting pictures such as those into a school text book?!

Everyone had turned in early that night, after hearing that Sango was going to be all right. Everyone, but Miroku. He knew all this had been his fault to begin with, but reading from Kagome's school book, made Miroku feel guiltier.

Pulling his sleeping robe over his shoulders, Miroku walked out onto the porch, sliding the door shut behind him. He found himself a nice-looking pillar to lean on, and sat down beside it, feeling the wind blow through his hair. Sighing, Miroku thought about the "Saké Nights" as he had grown to calling it. He couldn't sleep anyway....

:: They had just saved a young man and his fiancée from an attacking youkai. After exorcising it, they learned that the young man came from a wealthy family and his father owned an inn about half a mile south of Kyoto°. The owner of the inn, Yamahori-sama, insisted that Miroku and his friends stay the night for rescuing his son and future daughter-in-law.

When they were given their room, they were also offered three bottles of saké; it was only polite they accept the gifts. And when they were all sure Shippo was asleep, they reached for the saké and began to drink it from the small glasses they received.

Within an hour, all three bottles had been emptied of their contents, and out of the four of them, Miroku felt the giddiest. No one had ever seen the houshi drunk, so no one quite knew what he was capable of.

For starters, he was overexcited about everything. His face was a light shade of pink, and he was very rough with Sango. Even for groping, when she slapped him, it had no effect.

Eventually, he had seduced her into an empty room across the hall. Sango, also being caught between a drunken state and her emotions towards Miroku, had taken this all very well. By midnight, Miroku had successfully raped Sango. ::

Miroku frowned at the thought. What he had done was wrong and somehow very disturbing. And poor Sango. She was now carrying the burden of knowing that she had been sexually assaulted by a man she saw everyday. A man she probably thought she could trust.

"I wonder what everyone thought of that...," Miroku pondered, smiling sadly. "I'm sure they think lesser of me than they already did."

_And what of Shippo? He looked up to me as a father-figure. Hmph, some _father _I turned out to be._

This night was so beautiful. Miroku remembered that the weather had been just like this the night he had impregnated Sango. He stood up, running a hand threw his hair. Walking over to a small water-filled well, Miroku leaned down, cupping his hands to gather some water. He took a sip from his hands, and then splashed the remaining bit of water onto his sweaty face.

:: The next morning, Miroku woke up feeling terribly ill. From what the others knew, he had a high fever, and flu-like symptoms; the sound of his dinner rising back up his esophagus and splattering on the hard, wooden floors was what woke them.

He stayed with Sango and Shippo for the remainder of the day; he was too sick to move much and Inu Yasha insisted Kagome go with him to seek out more jewel shards. Every hour or so, Shippo was sent out to retrieve fresh water from the well, along with some herbal plants to help ease Miroku's upset stomach.

This time, the kitsune was sent out to get a warm blanket. He came back ten minutes later, saying he was having difficulty finding the innkeeper, but he was sent away again to look for the man until he found him.

"Houshi-sama?"

Miroku opened his eyes; they were bleary. His eyes held a tint of curiosity though.

"Do you remember last night?" Sango asked timidly.

"I do," he answered. "Last night was the anniversary of my father's death."

Sango sighed deeply. "Were you depressed, Houshi-sama?"

Nodding his head in response, Miroku added, "I tend to drink a lot when I'm feeling miserable."

"What I'm trying to get at, Houshi-sama, is that you and I..., well, you actually...," Sango hesitated before continuing. "You were a little _too _drunk.... And I think I might be...."

Miroku stared at her a moment, before he realized what Sango was getting at. His eyes widened in terror, and he felt sick all over again. No, this couldn't be happening. Not to him.... _Not to her!_

"Sango, are you saying that you are...?"

"Yes, Houshi-sama," Sango replied, looking away. "I think I'm going to have your baby."

From Miroku's mat on the floor, he could clearly see Sango face, though she was looking away. Her face showed total humiliation. Miroku could perfectly see where she was coming from; Sango was only 17 after all. ::

By now, Sango was two weeks pregnant. Miroku just wanted to curl up and die when the time to tell the others came. He wished he had a bottle of saké with him now to make him forget that time, and he wished he had one then, because it would have made it a whole lot easier.

:: Inu Yasha was all but ready to kill Miroku when he found out. And it wasn't because he had any feelings towards Sango, but because Miroku must have used his own drunkenness as an excuse to lay the girl.

"It's unforgivable!" Inu Yasha cried.

Sango looked down at Miroku's sleeping form; he had fallen asleep before Kagome and Inu Yasha had returned, leaving the storytelling to her. She knew Miroku's actions were a bit rash, but she didn't at all suspect him of making up an excuse such as his being drunk. She stared at Miroku; he was starting to stir.

Inu Yasha must have seen this too, for when the monk opened his eyes, the hanyou was on him within seconds. Noting the look on Sango's face, Miroku guessed she must have told them. ::

It had taken Sango, Kagome, and a bluff from Miroku to convince Inu Yasha that he was dearly sorry for what he had done.

"I told him that I would use my Kazaana on him if he continued to threaten me...but the truth was, I was far too week to even remove the prayer beads from my hand, let alone use my Kazaana...."

"Right. That was one bad hangover."

Miroku turned around, meeting Sango's eyes from the porch. She was smiling as she made her way off the porch and closer to Miroku.

"Maybe, but I'm not sure that's all it was.... Don't you remember, Sango?"

:: "I'm glad you brought the houshi in when you did," the healer said, wiping his hands on a towel, as he exited the room Miroku was resting in. "If you'd brought him in later, who knows what might have happened."

"May we go see him?" Kagome asked.

"Of course, certainly."

The healer led them to Miroku's room, closing the door behind her as she left them at peace. When they walked into the room, Miroku seemed to be in a daze, staring up at the ceiling. He didn't even look at them as his friends crowded around him.

"How're you feeling, Miroku?"

Miroku continued to stare up at the ceiling a moment, making the others presume that he had gone deaf, but after a while, he sat up, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Genki desu. Arigatou, Shippo-chan.... I was praying for my father," Miroku added after a while.

"The healer said that you might have died if we had brought you in any later," Inu Yasha said, his earlier gaze turning soft.

Kagome and Sango raised an eyebrow at Inu Yasha. True, the healer said Miroku's condition could have led to something worse, but she never once said he might have died. Though they could understand how Inu Yasha could have taken the healer's words as an implication of Miroku's demise.

"Nonsense," Miroku said, smiling. "It's just a simple cold, probably aggravated by all the stress I've been feeling." When no one said anything, Miroku added, "Two nights ago was the anniversary of my father's death; I was feeling a bit below par, and haven't been sleeping well.... Of course, something else could have set off this cold."

Miroku eased a glance over at Sango, who was turned the other way. ::

"Three days later, you were feeling better?"

"Much better than I had," Miroku admitted.

Sango walked back over to the porch, putting a hand on her stomach. It wasn't starting to swell yet, but she just had to give it time. It wouldn't be long now before she had to give up slaying demons in order to stay in good health for her sake and the baby's.

"Sango...?"

Sango turned around to face the passionate eyes of Miroku, houshi. She continued to stare at him for a moment, before she realized that he was not staring back at her. Sango grabbed the front of her robe, for she realized Miroku was looking intently down at her breasts. Miroku looked up at her eyes when his formally beautiful view had been robbed of him.

"Kiss me," Miroku said.

Sango averted her eyes from the houshi's, her face flustered. She instead found herself looking directly at his chest muscles. Miroku pulled her closer to him, and she had a strange urge to shove her hands into the depths of his robes. And she did.

After feeling as though she had felt enough of Miroku's bare chest, Sango reached up, running her hands through the houshi's hair. Miroku countered by reaching for Sango's robes and pulling them off her shoulders. Sango was taken aback by Miroku's sudden roughness, but failed to say anything to ruin the moment.

Before, Miroku wanted a kiss on the lips, but after removing Sango's robe from her shoulders, he leaned over and gently began to suck at the bottom of her neck. Sango let out a moan, and Miroku stopped, looking her in the eyes. The houshi couldn't tell if she was showing embarrassment or pleasure; her face was flustered, so it could have gone either way.

"Kiss me...," Sango repeated.

Miroku leaned forward, planting a long, wet kiss on Sango's lips. She ran her hands through his hair again, as her tongue wound its way around her friend's.

A/N: Woo! A success...; I never thought I'd finish that chapter. Nor did I think I'd enjoy putting Japanese slang in an English fic. And the little asterisk beside "Kyoto" is weird. I don't think their cities were named yet, but I couldn't find another way to describe it.

Something will happen to Miroku next chapter, but he won't get sick...well, not really. ;)

**Oops...this chapter has been revised due to stupid mistakes I failed to see while beta-ing this. This chapter was revised AGAIN on ****7/14/04****.**


	3. Dreaming of You

Drinking Baby

Three: Dreaming of You

For Kagome it was Saturday, for Inu Yasha, Shippo, and Kirara it was just a normal day; but for Miroku and Sango it was another day full of undesired thoughts. He had done it again; Miroku had wormed his way back into Sango's life. He hadn't really left, but to him he had. But after their night at the inn, they had not spoken to each other. The atmosphere was extremely tense; With Miroku and Sango not speaking to one another, it made conversation between the rest of them rather difficult. Neither of them wanted to tell what was bothering them, but then, no one had bothered to ask. It was common for Miroku to keep things to himself, and Sango never wanted to burden anyone with her personal problems, so she kept quiet as well. By high noon, Inu Yasha had finally had enough. He spun on his heels, facing the solemn group behind him.

"Damn it! Just what is going on between you two?"

"It's nothing," Miroku said, chancing a glance at Sango, and saw her to be staring at the ground. If she wanted to tell them all about last night, that was her problem. He, for one, had no desire to share anything.

"Bull shit. I can sense your uneasiness, Miroku—and it's making me edgy!"

Miroku sighed; it was something he was becoming accustomed to. "Look. Inu Yasha, there are more important things to be worrying about other than my anxiety—like the jewel shards. And I'm sorry if I'm making you feel disquieted, but I've got my own tribulations to be concerned about, so if you could just leave me at peace, I would be very grateful."

Inu Yasha was so taken aback by the monk's proclamation, that he said nothing, and instead turned back towards their unknowing destination. The others seemed to be just as offended by Miroku's statement that they continued to say nothing for the remainder of the trip.

It was well into the night before Miroku and his companions reached a village, used to stay at for the remaining hours of the night. But from what they could see, the village was deserted; there seemed to have been a battle there. Most houses had missing walls, others had collapsed altogether. They picked one of the lesser damaged huts to stay in.

They were rather lucky, as Kagome kept reminding them. Recently they had been spending all their nights inside, rather than out in the woods. It didn't really matter to Inu Yasha where they slept, but if he wanted to sleep peacefully, he was to keep his mouth shut.

It had not taken the girls long at all to set up the blankets and fall into slumber. Kagome slept inside her bag of sleeping, with Shippo curled up beside her head. Miroku turned his head towards Sango. She too had already fallen asleep, her cat youkai, Kirara, purring softly, eyes drooping.

"Inu Yasha...," Miroku breathed.

There was a moment's silence that made Miroku wonder if the hanyou had fallen asleep as well. But a sudden ruffling of robes, told him he was mistaken.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"About earlier.... There was something bothering me."

Inu Yasha snorted. "I already knew that."

And with the moonlight shining in through the smashed hut, Miroku thought he saw, what appeared to be a smirk, playing on Inu Yasha's lips. It was a rare sight to behold, he was just lucky he caught it when he did.

"But really, what's botherin' you, monk?"

Miroku shook his head, though it made him wonder if Inu Yasha could actually see him in the dark. "It really isn't anything," he said softly.

"You woke me up to tell me that same thing from this afternoon?"

"You were asleep?"

"No," Inu Yasha said bluntly.

Miroku let out a chuckle. It felt good making such a noise of happiness, even if it was forced. He sighed again, having regretted doing such an act.

"I can't keep up doing this charade anymore," he said finally. Inu Yasha opened his mouth in protest, but Miroku cut him off. "I'm leaving, Inu Yasha."

"I won't stop you then."

There was a moment of awkward silence as Miroku thought this over. He really had expected Inu Yasha to stop him from going. And also, somewhere deep inside, he wished Inu Yasha had stopped him.

"Thank you, my friend."

And with that, Miroku picked up his staff and walked out of the hut.

The sun was rising by the time Miroku had found his way out of the abandoned village. And by that time, Miroku also found himself to be delirious. He was arguing with himself from time to time and even walked into a tree during his last episode. He'd checked himself for fever, but his temperature felt normal enough.

Maybe it was due to his exhaustion?

He remembered not being able to sleep for the last two days. And he had battled youkai for a jewel shard the previous day, so that made his exhaustion double. After walking a few more paces. He saw a nice spot to the left that looked inviting; he would have preferred to sleep back at the old, rundown hut, but this would have to do since he wasn't traveling with Sango and the others anymore.

_This way, I can't get anyone else pregnant, and I'll be able to sleep without worrying whether or not Sango's all right. I can't worry about her if I'm not with her, right?_

Wrong.

Miroku sat cross-legged, under a giant oak, trying to render himself free of these thoughts of Sango. He found it to be impossible. The further away she was from him, the more he seemed to worry for her safety. If Inu Yasha kept his promise, then he would not tell the others where he had gone, or when he left; if they knew when he left, they'd be able to figure out how far he could have traveled. He closed his eyes, just hoping that in his exhaustion, sleep would overtake him.

It was dark when Miroku woke, and the air was chilly. He felt a cold drop of water hit his cheek, so he checked to make sure he wasn't crying. He wasn't. Looking up, he noticed that the clouds lingering above him were an ominous shade of gray. It was just like one of those bad luck rain clouds.... How ironic.

He stood up, having decided to get somewhere out of the rain. He didn't know exactly where he was heading, but he found himself walking down a dirt-covered path as the rain began to fall in heavier sheets.

For all it was worth, the scenery around him suddenly changed. It was like he had just walked in through a door...or somewhere to another dimension. He knew the latter was impossible, seeing as he now knew where he was. He was standing beside his father's tomb, just outside Mushin's temple.

Miroku walked down into the grave. He kneeled down, closed his eyes and put his hands together in prayer. It was almost a habit to prayer at Father's tomb every time he returned.

"Miroku...?"

Miroku spun his head around so fast, that he felt it snap painfully. Wincing, he looked at the one who had called out to him. It was Sango. She stood there, watching him as closely as a cat watches its prey. The rain was starting to become steady, but it didn't seem to faze Sango. She continued to stare down at him.

_She called me by my name...,_ Miroku thought. _What's going on here?_

"Sango-chan, how did you know I was here?" _Not even I knew where I was headed._

"Inu Yasha told me that you left. Miroku, I was worried about you."

"Inu Yasha told you I left, did he?" _That lying bastard._ "Sango-chan...please, there is something I need to tell you."

"I love you."

Miroku stared at her, mouth agape. He was dumbfounded; he didn't know what to say to such a confession. So, he stood there like a total moron, eyes wide in shock. Rain continued to fall down his cheek, until the liquid reached his lips, and he realized the salty water was from his own tears. His tears of joy.

Sango's timing couldn't have been better. With such a beautiful declaration of love, Miroku forgot all about being miserable. And he was just about to return Sango's feeling towards him...when he sneezed. It was then that he realized that his robes were soaking him to the bone. Sango seemed to take notice of this as well.

"Miroku-sama, you're going to catch a cold in those wet clothes."

Miroku laughed. This time it was not forced, but only pure, needed laughter. Sango's tone was just as a mother's scolding her child would be. He walked up, out of his father's grave site, and continued to walk with Sango to Mushin's temple.

When they reached Mushin's temple, both of them changed out of the wet clothes and into white, night robes. Mushin insisted on looking over Miroku to make sure he hadn't gotten ill during his prayer time outside. Miroku brushed it off, saying he felt fine.

After greeting Hachi, Miroku and Sango trudged on to bed. Truth be told, Miroku was feeling a bit sluggish, and when he told Sango, she avowed for him to lay his head in her lap while she stroked his hair. Smiling wearily, Miroku agreed to her terms.

He laid out a blanket, resting his head upon Sango's lap. She did as she said she would, and began to fondle Miroku's dark locks. He immediately began to feel his eyelids droop, and was comfortable knowing that his love was there playing with his hair.

But as they say, it was indeed too good to be true....

Not half a minute after Miroku closed his eyes, did he feel cold metal against his neck. His eyes snapped open, to reveal to him his current situation. Sango, the dear woman who had only declared her love to him twenty minutes prior, had one of her wrist blades (the weapon) pressed against Miroku's Adam's apple. And not only was the blade threatening to slash his neck, it was also cutting off his air passage.

He fought to breathe. To stay alive! But in his efforts, he only managed to awaken Sango's pursuit in killing him. He squirmed to try and free himself of the possessed taija-ya, but she only pressed the blade harder to his neckline.

Miroku sat up suddenly, struggling for breath. It took him a moment to realize that what had happened was all a horribly bad dream. He put his cursed hand up to his neck, as if feeling for a mark from Sango's blade. Never before had he been so terrified; he was covered with icy sweat and his whole body trembled profoundly.

Before he collapsed, he remembered taking one, terrified glance over at Sango's sleeping form.

He swatted at whoever was shaking him. It was too damn early in the morning to be woken, and so rudely at that. When the shaking failed to ceased, Miroku turned over on his side, hoping that, whoever it was, would just leave him alone.

Finally fed up, Miroku turned around, eyes halfway shut, staring lazily at his wakeup call.

"Nani, Shippo-chan?"

"Ohayo, Miroku-sama!"

Miroku sat up, yawning and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "It's too early, Shippo-chan—"

"It's already eleven o' clock, Miroku," Kagome said, checking her watch.

_Whatever that means...._

"Let's go, Houshi-sama."

Miroku searched for the source of the voice. He knew that voice, but it had called him something different last night; something that left him feeling at ease.

"S-Sango-chan!"

Miroku was looking at her with utmost fear. His eyes darted around the room like a frightened kitten looking for an escape route. His breathing became more intense as he continued to stare at her.

"Houshi-sama, what's wrong?"

She was walking forward, a look of complete concern on her face. But it was all an act. Miroku knew that much for sure. She was such an actress—she should have been in a play.

"Stay away from me!"

Sango stopped dead in her tracks, the look on her face showing that of confusion and a tint of hurt.

"What's gotten into you?" Inu Yasha asked, unfolding his arms and taking a step towards the scenario.

"She t-tried to kill me last night!"

A/N: Gah, there were so many places I wanted to end this chapter! Like directly after Miroku's dream, in the center of the dream, anywhere but where I just ended it.

I'll be outta town for a couple days, but when I return, you can expect another update from me. My friend and I are going to start our own manga, so maybe I'll get some ideas from that. :)


	4. Walks in the Woods

Drinking Baby

A/N: If confused mid-way through this chapter, I encourage you to reference back to chapter three. I think I need to do just that.

Four: Walks in the Woods

"Honestly, Miroku. First, you talk about running away, and now this?"

Obviously embarrassed about the current situation he was in, Miroku stood up, brushing off his robes in an attempt to hide his face. He felt like a fool.

"Ashamed as I am to admit it, I had indeed planned on—wait. Inu Yasha, how did you know I was going to leave?"

At this, Inu Yasha merely snorted, rolling his eyes as if what he had to say was the most obvious thing in the world. He began to pick dirt out of his claws, all the while saying,

"You always leave us when somethin's troubling you. I just figured you'd do it again."

"Ohh...," Miroku said, finally looking up from his robes. "Sango, I beg you to forgive my impertinence."

Inu Yasha was right, after all. It did appear that whenever the houshi had something on his mind, he would leave the group in order to collect his thoughts or to, un-coincidently, try and get himself killed.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take a walk. I, uhh...have some things to think through." Miroku turned to them and smiled. It was a genuine smile from the heart, not some forced grin he had a knack for putting on.

"Good, because you reek of fear!" Miroku smiled once more, as he looked up at Inu Yasha, re-folding his arms across his chest.

Once Miroku knew he was out of his friends' ear and eyeshot, his let his grin falter. His life truly was like a charade—every moment he acted on a different accord. Had he really just accused Sango of trying to kill him? He knew that what he had experienced was a dream, so why on earth had he said that?

"This is all _your_ fault," he said, staring down at his right hand. "If Naraku hadn't cursed my grandfather all those years ago, I would never have had any reason to travel Japan looking for the Shikon no Tama or have the need to kill Naraku before my life was so cruelly ended."

He hadn't wandered far. In fact, he was only about fifty yards from the hut the others were staying at. He'd found himself a nice stream to rest at, but he could think of nothing to do while out, alone from the others. Miroku said he needed to think things through, but his mind felt dull and hazy, so he could get no straight though.

"Miroku?"

Miroku turned his head around, sharply. He knew the voice had come from that one, but he felt no need to speak with him now. If anything, he wanted to speak with no one, but he knew it couldn't be helped.

"Nani, Shippo-chan?" he said lazily.

"The others were worried about you, so came to find you."

Miroku looked at the little fox. He remembered wondering what Shippo thought about him and Sango, but he had never asked. Although he didn't picture this as the perfect time to ask, Miroku could no longer stand the nagging.

"Shippo-chan, please tell me.., what do you think of me?"

The kitsune's small smile was gone the instant the question left Miroku's lips. But not answering his question would only delay the inevitable; he needed to put it in terms the houshi would understand.

Miroku took Shippo's hesitation as a sign of premeditation. And if there was any cause for thought, then Miroku did not want to hear what the fox had to say. He looked up, saying,

"Shippo-chan, I...wait...."

Realization had hit Miroku like a blow to the head. Shippo had been the last hope he had. Sango surely detested him for the situation he had gotten her in, Kagome hardly spoke unless spoken to, and he wasn't even quite sure Inu Yasha ever liked him. His stomach began to churn unpleasantly, and it wasn't a moment later that Miroku was on his hands an knees, coughing up last night's meal.

It was revolting. The more he thought about this, the more the fluid rushed out, splashing on his robes and on his hands. Shippo looked utterly terrified; he stood glancing at Miroku and then turning behind him, as if deciding what to do. He finally made up his mind, and ran in what Miroku guessed must have been the direction of the others.

By the time they arrived, Miroku was caught between gasps and hiccups. He rolled over on his back, struggling for breath. Staring up at concerned faces, Miroku noticed that Sango's was not among them. Kagome was there, as was Inu Yasha, Shippo, and Kirara, but Sango was no where in eyeshot. Sitting up, he counted the faces once more, but still only came up with four.

"Where's Sango-chan?" he finally asked.

"She wasn't feeling well, so we told her to stay behind," Kagome confirmed, kneeling beside Miroku.

"What? Is she all right? What about the baby?"

Miroku tried to stand, but winced as his stomach did another back-flip; it really wasn't the most pleasant of feelings. Kagome ushered Miroku to lie on Kirara's back (giant neko!), and she would take him, along with the others back to their hut.

Miroku was starting to smell horribly when they reached the hut. His sweat mixed with vomit was so bad, that Inu Yasha threatened to sleep outside if he didn't go take a bath and wash his clothes. Miroku had declined as of now, because he wanted to see how Sango was holding up. She seemed to be doing well, excluding for her pallid expression.

"I guess it was just stress related. I'm feeling better now," Sango said smiling up at Miroku.

"That's good to hear. I'm going to wash up, but when I get back, I'll watch over you for the night, so don't worry."

Something in the sound of his voice, told Sango that Miroku meant what he said, and wasn't going to try anything perverted. It was sweet how he acted like this whenever something was ailing her.

"I'll be right back," Miroku said, leaving the room in search for a hot spring where he could bathe in.

He found one rather quickly; it was just at the edge of the eastern part of the forest. Sighing deeply, Miroku began to strip himself of his garments. Slipping into the warm water, he let out a deep sigh. The water made his body tingle with a strange feeling of comfort.

He sat there, just listening to the sounds of the forest, hoping that they could calm him; and they did. Just sitting here in the spring, helped ease his body and soul (so cliché, I know).

"Miroku-sama?"

Miroku looked up, hoping to see the owner of the voice. It was hard to see through the density of trees, but he was pretty sure no one was there. Dunking his head into the water, Miroku could hear his name being called again, though it was faint.

"MIROKU-SAMA!!!"

That time he was sure he heard his name. He stuck his head out of the water to come face-to-face with none other than Kagome. He blinked a couple times to make sure she wasn't an illusion, but she appeared to be real...and angry.

"What's the matter, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing as she began to gaze at Miroku. He did look awfully sexy with his hair wet and matted. And through the water, Kagome was sure she could see his lean form and his..._oh gods!_

Blushing, Kagome turned to look into the houshi's eyes. "Ah...oh. We're turning in for the night, so Shippo and I came out to find you."

"Shippo-chan.... You brought him with you?"

"Hai."

From where he was standing, Miroku thought he had seen a brown tuft of fur from behind Kagome, but was afraid to say anything to her about it, in case she had –by some means or the other—grown a tail.

"Shippo?"

The little fox poked his head out from behind Kagome's rear, smiling meekly at the houshi. He seemed to be thinking about something, but not a moment later, he was jumping into Miroku arms. Miroku was a little taken aback, but managed to catch the fox before falling back into the water.

"Miroku! I'm sorry about earlier...for making you sick when I didn't answer your question!" He looked on the verge of tears. Oh wait, he was already crying.

Miroku smiled down at the fox. Shippo was indeed like a son to him, and he did forgive him. Waiting for Kagome to turn around so he could step out of the spring, Miroku gave the kitsune a small squeeze, before wrapping himself in his towel.

A/N: Don't ask about that last little section in the spring. I just thought it'd be cute—and no, Kagome has no feelings except friendship for Miroku. Remember this is an M/S fic, not an M/K. I kind of got tired of the honorifics, so at the end, I started to drop them.

Next chapter will probably be one of my favorites. It'll be a romance chapter. Yep, that's right, no more of this angsty-drama stuff. The drama and angst will return, but just not next chapter. Oh, and also in the next chapter, I'll be skipping over a few months. I want to get over with Sango's pregnancy. The next chapter will be 3-6 months later; I haven't decided.

I will love you if you drop me a review and tell me what you think of this chapter and/or this story, but I will love you _forever_ if you can provide me with a link (or something) to any good angsty-drama fics you've read (Miroku/Sango, please). You know, something like "Miroku lies sick and dying", blah, blah, blah. Something like that. Thanks you guys.


	5. A Date is a Date

Drinking Baby

Four: A Date is a Date

"I seriously can't take another day of this," Inu Yasha said, covering his face with his hands.

"Nor can I. And Kagome's words don't seem to be helping either...," Miroku said exasperatingly.

It was now six months since the start of Sango's pregnancy. She had definitely gotten rounder around the middle, but her mood swings were now a little too much to bear. She was currently inside, crying her eyes out while Kagome tried to comfort her; no one knew the cause of her tears. Miroku and Inu Yasha were outside the hut, trying to get a little peace, while Kirara and Shippo tumbled together in the dirt.

Finally, Miroku said: "I'm going in."

To anyone that would have sounded as if Miroku were planning to enter a booby-trapped building, but Inu Yasha merely snorted, saying "Good luck" to the monk before watching him walk off.

Miroku rubbed his temple upon entering the hut. Being closer to the wailing Sango only intensified his headache. But he felt that she, as the mother of his child, was somehow his responsibility, and he was willing to do anything to keep her happy.

He kneeled in front of Sango, placing both her hands in his. He looked up at Kagome, letting her know that she was free to take a break, and then turned back to the taiji-ya. He slowly began to massage the tops of her hands with his thumbs, just hoping to get her attention.

Sango looked at Miroku with tear-filled eyes. She sniffled, holding back her tears as he opened his mouth to say something to her.

"Sango-chan, what's bothering you?" Miroku asked in a syrupy-sweet voice. When she said nothing, he continued. "Won't you please stop crying?"

She wrinkled her nose at Miroku's exaggeration on _please_. She could tell he was trying to be sincere, but it was hard to conceal his annoyance anymore. Sango had been experiencing different on and off feelings, and that worried her friends that they had had countless sleepless nights looking after her.

"Now tell me," Miroku tried again, "what's troubling you?"

"It hurts...," Sango muttered, ashamed.

Miroku stared at her a moment, trying not to let his anger pass over his face; if Sango saw it would only make her cry again. He tried to understand her pain. He had never carried a child, as hadn't Sango, but he couldn't see what the problem was.

He smiled the best grin he could muster, and Sango took that as a sign for her to move in. She stretched herself out, putting her head on his lap; she winced as small jolt of pain rushed through her body. Miroku blinked. What was Sango doing? She had never trusted him so much as to lay her head on his lap before. He said nothing for fear her sadness would surely turn to anger, but instead ran his fingers through her hair. That's when the idea struck him.

"How about a date? Will that ease your stomach?"

Sango looked up at him in disbelief. Had Miroku just asked her on a date? She averted her eyes, blushing; she'd heard from Kagome that dates were a way for a man to express his feelings towards the woman he loved.

"...Houshi-sama, would you really do that for me?"

"I don't see why not. It's the least I can do to make you feel better." Miroku smiled, moving Sango's head so he could stand. "I'll be right back," he promised her.

As Miroku stepped out of the hut, he began to think about Sango's reaction to his offering. A date was only a fruit; there was no need to get so excited.

( ) ( ) ( )

Miroku came back near dinnertime. He'd come back with a handful of freshly picked dates, but had saved them for Sango rather than eating them himself. Upon reaching the hut, he stopped just outside, as he heard the sound of his name coming from Kagome's lips; she seemed to be talking with Sango.

There was a squeal of happiness (probably from Kagome), followed by: "Oh, Sango-chan, I'm so happy for you! Miroku's actually taking you on a date."

Miroku knit his eyebrows together. He wasn't taking Sango on a date, that wasn't possible. Did she plan on riding a fruit? He strained his ears a little more to see if he could catch the rest of the conversation. Instead, he only heard silence.

Dumbstruck, he stared up at Sango as she looked down apologetically. While Miroku tried to eavesdrop on Sango's conversation with Kagome, he hadn't realized that they had stopped talking, and she had opened the door to go out and look for him. With the full force of the door, Miroku had been knocked flat on his rear, dropping the dates in hand.

"Gomen," Sango said, extending a hand to help the monk up.

Grabbing the dates, Miroku reached out to grab Sango's outstretched hand. He noted that as she pulled him up, she winced as though struck with a horrible pain.

"Sango-chan," he started.

"I'm all right," she declared, holding her back. "I think dinner's about ready."

Miroku smiled. Even though something was troubling her, Sango was indeed strong and would make a wonderful mother..._and a wonderful wife. _And subconsciously, as the houshi and the taiji-ya walked back into the hut, Miroku stretched out his hand, and Sango grabbed it, holding it tight.

( ) ( ) ( )

_"Kagome-chan?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"I was you tell me, what's a date?"_

_Kagome looked at Miroku skeptically. She knew that Miroku had already asked Sango on a date, but then why was he asking what it was? Maybe he just wanted to know what you do on dates...?_

_"Well," Kagome began, "Dates are when you take someone—preferably the one you care most for—on a little outing." Miroku opened his mouth to interject, but she continued. "He—that is to say you, Miroku—have the obligation to pay for whatever Sango-chan wants to do. But, it's better for the two of you to decide together on what you should do in the evening. It's even better for you to decide ahead of time...you know, like a surprise."_

_Miroku nodded his thanks, and Kagome continued to stare. _

_"Or did you mean the fruit?"_

_"No-no, of course not! I know what date I want."_

_"Good. A date's a date, right?"_

_Miroku smiled. "Right. Thanks Kagome-chan."_

And that was how Miroku found out which date was which. He almost wished he hadn't said anything about the dates (fruit), but he had put his best interests in Sango. He really had only wanted to please her. Miroku had considered canceling his so-called-scheduled-date with Sango, but if he truly did want to please her, canceling was not the best way to do it.

What if he didn't cancel, but told Sango the truth instead?

No, he knew that would only crush her. From what Kagome told him and from what he already knew, Sango had been euphoric and was anticipating their date.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he mused aloud. "Why is it that every time I get into something like this it involves a woman?"

Miroku buried his head in his knees. He felt miserable, both physically and mentally. No matter how much he tried to fix things, he always ended up making them worse than they already were. He just knew that there was no way he was altering his biggest mistake. The mistake that had led to this mistake, which was bound to make more mistakes....

He had had that conversation with Kagome the night before, and this evening was the evening he had promised to take Sango out. He stood up, dusting off his robes. Miroku knocked softly on the door he had been leaning against seconds before. He prayed that Sango not hear his rap, but wasn't at all disappointed when he heard padded footsteps running up to greet him.

The door in front of them slid open, revealing a tuckered out-looking Sango. She was breathing heavily, a hand on her swollen belly. Her hair seemed to be flying in all directions. Noticing his stares, Sango ran her hands through her hair, trying to smooth out the loose ends.

"Sango-chan, I...theses are for you," Miroku said, pulling his hand out from behind him.

Sango looked at the wilting daisies in her friend's hand. In his nervous-embarrassment, Miroku must have smothered the life right out of the pretty flowers he had picked for Sango; he had his fist tightly clenching the floral stems.

"T-Thank you, Houshi-sama."

Sango reached out and grabbed the flowers from the monk's outstretched hand. He let go of the flowers almost immediately, almost as if they were contaminated with some terrible disease that he did not want to catch.

"Let me just give these to Kagome-chan to put in water," Sango said bowing her head and rushing back inside the room.

( ) ( ) ( )

"How was the meal, Sango-chan?"

Miroku had taken the liberty of taking Sango to the nicest noodle house in the area and that had gone over well enough; give or take a few accidents along the way. And on their way over, the two had warmed up to each other's company, and it seemed as if nothing had ever happened between them.

"It was wonderful, Houshi-sama!" Hesitating a little, Sango asked, "Remember when that man dropped that bowl of hot soba onto your lap?"

"How could I forget?" Miroku said sardonically. He cursed inwardly as his thighs rubbed against the fresh burn when he walked. "...I could use a drink right about now. Whata'ya say?"

Sango stopped walking, leaving Miroku to standing alone, wondering.

"I told you I would never drink again...," Sango muttered.

Miroku felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach; the same feeling he had gotten when he found out Sango was pregnant with his child. How could he have been so stupid to suggest something like that? A drink? Sango had gotten pregnant because they had had a drink. Was he really willing to get wasted after six months of remaining sober? He had stopped drinking in order to protect Sango...from himself.

"Sango-chan, I'm sorry.... I forgot."

Sango looked up and smiled. "Think nothing of it. I wouldn't expect you to remember anyway," she added playfully.

"Thank you, Sango," Miroku said, grabbing her hands. "Now, what do you say we head back?"

"That'd be great," Sango said, removing her hands from Miroku's. She turned to look at him as they made their way through the tree-filled terrain. Maybe it was the moonlight, but tonight, he looked really handsome; standing there, tall and lanky, his hair blowing in the cool breeze of night.

"...'ov you."

"What?" Sango asked, looking into his deep violet eyes. "Gomen Houshi-sama, I was thinking about something else."

Miroku raised his arms, stretched and yawned, then casually rested an arm across Sango's shoulders. Smiling down at the sheepish taiji-ya, he shook his head slowly.

"It's nothing, Sango. Nothing at all."

( ) ( ) ( )

A/N: Oh gawds.... I've heard that fluff plagues you in the early hours of the morning (it's 2am central time), and I believe it now. This chapter was supposed to be fluff-filled, but I was too tired to write out the entire date, and I really wanted to get this chapter out before school started. Seeing as I would have no time to write over the weekend, tonight (or rather, this morning) was the night/morning to finish this and post it before I got angry emails begging me to update. By the way, sorry about spelling and grammar mistakes (me = sleepy). Now, if you don't mind...I'm going to bed.

REVIEW. Zzzzzz......


	6. Location Proposal

Drinking Baby

_So yeah, it's been a while. What, have you already grown up and finished college? You say you have no more need, desire, or want to read this fic anymore? YEAH RIGHT! It's only been **two years**! It's not like it's an eternity or anything. Sheesh...you guys're picky. :)_

_Oh yeah, FYI, the honorifics and slang have been removed._

_- - -_

Whatever she was lying on, it sure was comfortable. It was soft, yet firm. Warm, yet cool at the same time. She was able to grab a handful of it without moving the thing. Her head was on top of something so soft and fluffy; she just had to see what it was. And when she opened her eyes, she realized...it was pink?

Sango sat up quickly, regretting it when her belly gave a small pinch. She was in a small room with a big window near her head, and lots and lots of pink things. There was a door too, with a big round thing somewhere in the middle that she suspected was used for opening and closing it. She scanned the room, looking at all the multi-colored "stuffed" animals and a variety of other girlish things, until at last, her eyes landed on a figure in the corner of the room who was clad in nothing but different shades of purple.

It was Miroku. And he was sleeping.

"Sango?"

When she turned, she saw Kagome standing next to the wooden door that was now ajar. She was carrying a tray with two cups and a mug. Kagome set the tray down on her desk, and then sat herself in a chair. She handed the mug to Sango, which according to her, was filled with what looked like green lake water.

"Looks like he fell asleep," she said, stifling a laugh and putting the cup meant for Miroku back down on the tray. "He just carried you through the well..."

"The well?" Sango asked, looking up from her drink. "Kagome, do you mean the well that connects to your time? Does that mean that I...?"

"Yes and yes," Kagome said with a smile. "We all agreed that it would be safer for you and your baby if the two of you--three, I mean--were here instead. There are better physicians and medicine here, and I'm sure that they'll--"

"--No!"

While Sango had been able to keep the mug in her hand, she still hadn't been able to keep all of the drink in it. In her outburst, she had accidently spilt more than half of the contents onto Kagome's pink bedsheets. The drink had been hot, and it began to burn her legs as it seeped through the thin cloth.

"I'm sorry," she said, moving the sheets off of her.

"Don't worry about it," Kagome said. "I've been meaning to wash them. I'll be right back."

Sango watched as she walked out the door. She turned to Miroku. Good, she hadn't woken him. As she waited for Kagome to return, she thought about what she had said. Have her baby here? In an unknown time period? That thought in itself seemed preposterous. She couldn't even fathom what Kagome meant when she said that they had agreed. As far as she was concerned, she was the only one who got to make decisions for this baby; she wasn't even sure Miroku was mature enough to handle the job.

They should have talked to me about this, she thought, turning back to face Miroku. Why hadn't he said anything to her?

Kagome returned carrying a damp washcloth. Sango watched as she grabbed the bedsheet and gently scrubbed at it. The strange drink she'd spilled was lighter, but the stain was not completely gone.

"That's better, isn't it?" Kagome said cheerfully.

"I'm sorry."

"I told you it was nothing--"

"--Not that." She paused. Well, she was sorry about that too. "I can't have the baby here. It just wouldn't seem right; I'm too unfamiliar with the area. Not that I'm not thankful for what you all suggested, but...I just can't."

"...It's funny."

"What?"

"Miroku thought you wouldn't be too keen on the idea. We just thought we'd take a chance with it." Kagome smiled, staring at the sleeping monk. "Poor guy must be exhausted... Let's wake him up."

Sango giggled. She was grateful to have Kagome as a friend. All of them were wonderful friends, but she was able to relate to Kagome more because they were both young, aspiring women.

She watched as Kagome picked up a rectangular-shaped object, what she remembered was called an "eraser", and threw it in Miroku's direction. It hit him on the nose, startling him, but not quite enough to wake him fully.

"Miroku. Your wind tunnel. It's sucking me in," Kagome said lamely.

"That's really uncalled for," Miroku said, opening weary eyes towards them. He sat up, stretching his arms and yawning.

"Sorry, but it was the only way to wake you up."

"This doesn't count?" Miroku asked, bending over to pick up the eraser. "Sango, you're awake." He seemed to have just noticed she was there.

Sango acknowledged him with a nod of her head, her thoughts not wavering from the flirtatious manner of conversation between her two friends. She told herself she was just imagining it, but she needed to be certain.

"Miroku?" she tried, turning to Kagome. "Can I speak with you in private?"

Kagome took the hint, leaving the two to talk amongst themselves.

"You're flirting with her," Sango said, the moment she knew Kagome was out of earshot. It was strange how she was able to trust Kagome, but not the man who was the father of her child. Then again, he was known to be less than trustworthy.

"What? Sango, no, of course not."

"I _saw_ you. I was right here!"

Miroku sighed, getting up from his place in the corner, and seating himself at Sango's feet. As he did so, he reached across and grabbed her hand.

"You've got it all wrong: Kagome's been prepping me for the birth of our child. We've got a special bond, she and I. Everything I'll need to know to be a good father I've been learning from her 'textbooks'. But you and I," he said, caressing her hand with his thumb, "we're conntected through _this._" With his free hand, he stretched between them, placing it on Sango's swollen belly.

While trying to hide her embarrassment from having once again misjudged Miroku, she said, "Kagome thought we should have it here."

"I know. So, what did you decide?"

"No, I want to have it on the other side, back home. At Kaede's, I think."

"I thought as much," Miroku smiled.

"It's just that I promised my mother that I...," Sango paused, unsure of how to finish the statement. She hadn't promised her mother that she'd have her child in a demon-infested land, but what exactly did she mean? "Well, I told her I'd make the right decision. And that's what I decide."

Miroku grinned. "That's good then."

"Yeah... By the way, where's Kirara?"

"She followed us through the well, and she made quick friends with Kagome's pet cat."

"Kagome has a cat?"

"Yep. His name's Buyo."

- - -

_What I find kinda funny (and ironic) is that the thing that inspired me to update this fic was a calendar picture of Miroku and Sango, sitting under a full moon, and drinking what other than...saké! Amaaaazing._

_Yes, yes, I know this chapter was mainly dialogue, but conversations are important too, no? Besides, an update's an update._


End file.
